Abstract
A bundle of containers for consumer goods is provided, the bundle including: a group of containers for consumer goods, each container including a first container wall, a housing for consumer goods, and an outer wrapper wrapped around the housing, the group of containers being arranged such that the first container walls collectively form a first face of the bundle; and a strip extending across at least the first face of the bundle and being affixed to each of the first container walls to secure the group of containers together, the strip including interconnected lines of weakness each extending across the first face of the bundle, the interconnected lines being arranged such that each container is separable from the group by tearing the strip along one or more respective lines of weakness, and the outer wrapper of each container and the strip including a polymeric film.
Claims
1.-15. (canceled)
16. A bundle of containers for consumer goods, the bundle comprising: a group of containers for consumer goods, each container comprising a first container wall, a housing for consumer goods, and an outer wrapper wrapped around the housing, the group of containers being arranged such that the first container walls collectively form a first face of the bundle; and a strip extending across at least the first face of the bundle, the strip being affixed to each of the first container walls to thereby secure the group of containers together, wherein the strip comprises a plurality of interconnected lines of weakness each extending across the first face of the bundle, the interconnected lines of weakness being arranged such that each container in the group of containers is separable from the group of containers by tearing the strip along one or more respective lines of weakness, and wherein the outer wrapper of each container comprises a polymeric film and the strip comprises a polymeric film.
17. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein the first face of the bundle is a top face of the bundle or a bottom face of the bundle.
18. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein the strip is individually affixed to each of the first container walls by means of one or both of an adhesive and a weld.
19. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein the strip is individually affixed to the first container walls at one or more predefined locations, and wherein the plurality of lines of weakness is spaced apart from the one or more predefined locations.
20. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the strip extending across the first face of the bundle is spaced from at least one edge of the first face of the bundle.
21. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein a portion of the strip extending across the first face of the bundle has a width that is less than a width of the first face of the bundle.
22. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein each container further comprises a second container wall opposed to the first container wall, wherein the group of containers is arranged such that the second container walls collectively form a second face of the bundle, and wherein the strip further extends across the second face of the bundle and is individually affixed to each of the second container walls to thereby secure the group of containers together.
23. The bundle of containers according to claim 22, wherein the strip further comprises a plurality of lines of weakness extending across the second face of the bundle, and wherein the plurality of lines of weakness extending across the second face of the bundle is arranged such that each container in the group of containers is separable from the group of containers by tearing the strip along one or more of the lines of weakness extending across the second face of the bundle.
24. The bundle of containers according to claim 22, wherein the strip further extends across a third face of the bundle, the third face of the bundle extending from the first face of the bundle to the second face of the bundle.
25. The bundle of containers according to claim 24, wherein the strip is not affixed to the third face of the bundle.
26. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein the strip extending across the first face of the bundle is a first strip of the bundle, wherein said each container further comprises a second container wall opposed to the first container wall, wherein the group of containers is arranged such that the second container walls collectively form a second face of the bundle, and wherein the bundle further comprises a second strip, the second strip extending across the second face of the bundle and being individually affixed to each of the second container walls to thereby secure the group of containers together.
27. The bundle of containers according to claim 26, wherein the plurality of lines of weakness of the first strip is a first set of lines of weakness, and wherein the second strip comprises a second set of lines of weakness, the second set of lines of weakness extending across the second face of the bundle and being arranged such that each container in the group of containers is separable from the group of containers by tearing the second strip along one or more lines of weakness in the second set of lines of weakness.
28. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein: the strip extends over no more than three faces of the bundle, or the strip extends over no more than two faces of the bundle, or the strip extends over no more than one face of the bundle.
29. The bundle of containers according to claim 16, wherein the housing of each container in the group of containers has a first housing wall and the first container wall is formed by the first housing wall and a portion of the outer wrapper wrapped around the first housing wall, such that the strip is individually affixed to the portion of the outer wrapper of each container.
Description
[0128] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0129] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a group of containers and a strip for forming a bundle of containers of consumer goods according to a first embodiment of the invention;
[0130] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the bundle of containers of the first embodiment of the invention;
[0131] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the bundle of containers of FIG. 2 with one container having been removed from the bundle;
[0132] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a group of containers and a strip for forming a bundle of containers of consumer goods according to a second embodiment of the invention;
[0133] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the bundle of containers of the second embodiment of the invention;
[0134] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a group of containers and two strips for forming a bundle of containers of consumer goods according to a third embodiment of the invention;
[0135] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of the bundle of containers of the third embodiment of the invention; and
[0136] FIG. 8 shows a container suitable for use in the bundle of the first, second or third embodiments.
[0137] FIG. 1 shows a group of containers 50 and a strip 10 for forming a bundle 1 of containers of consumer goods according to a first embodiment of the invention. Each container in the group 50 is in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped having a container front wall, container back wall, container top wall 51, container bottom wall and first and second container side walls. For simplicity of illustration, certain details and features of the containers 50 (such as a lid) are not shown in any of FIGS. 1 to 7. However, further details of an exemplary container can be seen in FIG. 8. The containers 50 are grouped together such that a front, back or side wall of each container abuts with a corresponding front, back or side wall of at least one other container. The containers are shown in an upright orientation. The containers are grouped into two rows, each row containing five containers.
[0138] When grouped together in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the top walls 51 of the containers collectively form a top face 4 of the bundle 1. The bundle 1 also has a front face 3, a first side face 5, a back face, a bottom face, and a second side face. The bundle 1 therefore generally has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. The back face, bottom face, and second side face of the bundle 1 are not visible in the perspective view of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0139] FIGS. 1 and 2 also shows a strip 10, which is used for forming the bundle 1 of the first embodiment. The strip 10 has a generally rectangular shape and is configured to overlie the top wall 51 of each container. This can be best appreciated from FIG. 2.
[0140] As best seen from FIG. 3, the strip 10 is individually affixed to the first container wall 51 of each container at a predefined location 104. The predefined location 104 is generally centrally located on each first container wall 51, and spaced apart from the plurality of lines of weakness. That is, each line of weakness does not overlie a location where the strip is affixed to a first container wall 51.
[0141] The strip 10 can be affixed to each first container wall 51 by way of one or both of a weld and an adhesive between the strip 10 and the first container wall 51 of each container. For ease of illustration, the location 104 at which the strip is affixed to each container is only shown in respect of two containers in the group of containers 50 of FIGS. 1 to 3. However, it will be appreciate that corresponding locations are present for the remaining eight containers in the group of containers 50 of FIGS. 1 to 3.
[0142] The strip 10 comprises a plurality of lines of weakness extending across the strip 10. Each line of weakness may be formed by a line of perforation holes in the strip 10. The plurality of lines of weakness are interconnected with one another, and form an interconnected network of lines of weakness. In the specific embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the plurality of lines of weakness are distributed in a grid or mesh arrangement.
[0143] The plurality of lines of weakness of the strip 10 comprise a first group of lines of weakness 101 extending in a first direction across the top face 4 of the bundle 1 and a second group of lines of weakness 102 extending in a second direction across the second face of the bundle. The first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction. The first direction generally corresponds to the direction between the front face 3 and back face of the bundle 1. The second direction generally corresponds to the direction between the first side face 5 and the second side face of the bundle 1.
[0144] As best appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3, the strip 10 is secured to the containers 50 such that each line of weakness of the strip 10 is positioned at a boundary between two containers in the group of containers 50. As best appreciated from FIG. 3, the manner in which the strip 10 is affixed to the containers 50 and the arrangement of the lines of weakness 101, 102 is such that each container in the group of containers 50 is separable from the group of containers 50 by tearing the strip 10 along one or more respective lines of weakness. In particular, FIG. 3 shows the bundle 1 in a configuration where a first container 53 has been removed from the bundle 1. The first container 53 has been removed from the bundle 1 by tearing the strip 10 along lines of weakness 105, 106 corresponding to the first container 53. These lines of weakness 105, 106 are each positioned at a boundary where the first container 53 abuts an adjacent container. Namely, line of weakness 105 resides at the boundary between the first container 53 and a second container 54, whilst line of weakness 106 resides at the boundary between the first container 53 and a third container 55. As the strip is individually affixed to the first container 53, when such separation occurs, a portion of the strip 103 is removed from the bundle 1 along with the first container 53.
[0145] After the first container 53 has been removed from the bundle 1, the remaining containers of the bundle 1 remain intact and securely held together by the strip 10. A user of the bundle 1 can then choose a further container to remove from the bundle 1 by tearing the strip 10 along lines of weakness corresponding to said further container. Due to the configuration of the lines of weakness, the user is able to choose any of the remaining containers in the bundle 1.
[0146] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a group of containers 50 and a strip 20 for forming a bundle 21 of containers of consumer goods according to a second embodiment of the invention. The group of containers of FIG. 4 are substantially the same as those of FIGS. 1 to 3. The strip 20 of FIG. 4 comprises a first portion 100, which is substantially the same as the strip 10 of FIGS. 1 to 3. That is, the first portion 100 of the strip 20 is configured to overlie the top face 4 of the bundle 21 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 with respect to strip 10. However, strip 20 also further comprises a second portion 200, which is configured to overlie the bottom face of the bundle and be individually affixed to each container bottom wall (see FIG. 5). The second portion 200 of the strip 20 may therefore also help to securely hold the group of containers 50 together.
[0147] The strip 20 also comprises a third portion 300, which connects the first portion 100 to the second portion 200. As best seen from FIG. 5, the third portion 300 of the strip 20 is configured to overlie the first side face 5 of the bundle 21. The third portion 300 is not affixed to the containers of the bundle forming the first side face 5 of the bundle 21. The third portion 300 carries an indicia 305, which may convey branding or other information, such as information related to any consumer goods contained in the containers of the bundle 21.
[0148] In the strip 20 of FIGS. 4 and 5, the plurality of lines of weakness 101, 102 of the first portion 100 can be referred to as a first set of lines of weakness. Similarly, it can be seen that the second portion 200 also carries a plurality of lines of weakness 201, 202 and these lines of weakness 201, 202 can be referred to as a second set of lines of weakness.
[0149] As best seen from FIG. 5, in the assembled bundle 21 of the second embodiment, the second set of lines of weakness 201, 202 extend across the bottom face of the bundle 21 and are arranged such that each container in the group of containers 50 is separable from the group of containers by tearing the strip 20 along one or more lines of weakness in said second set of lines of weakness 201, 202. In particular, in the second embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, the strip 20 needs to be torn along both the first portion 100 and the second portion 200 in order for a container to be removed from the bundle 21.
[0150] As also seen from FIG. 5, in the assembled bundle 21 the second set of lines of weakness 201, 202 are substantially aligned with the first set of lines of weakness 101, 102. Furthermore, each line of weakness 201, 202 of the second portion 200 of the strip 20 is positioned at a boundary between two containers in the group of containers 50.
[0151] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a group of containers 50 and two strips 10, 30 for forming a bundle 31 of containers of consumer goods according to a third embodiment of the invention. The group of containers of FIG. 6 are substantially the same as those of FIGS. 1 to 5. The strips 10, 30 of FIG. 6 may be considered equivalent to the strip 20 of FIG. 4, in which the third portion 300 of the strip 20 has been removed. Put another way, in FIG. 6, there is a first strip 10 identical to the strip 10 of FIGS. 1 to 3, and a second discrete strip 30, which is equivalent to the second portion 200 of the strip 20 of FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0152] The second strip 30 is therefore configured to overlie the bottom face of the bundle 31 and be individually affixed to each container bottom wall (see FIG. 7). The second strip 30 may therefore also help to securely hold the group of containers 50 together.
[0153] The strips 10, 30 of FIGS. 6 and 7 therefore function in a similar manner to the strips 10, 20 previously described in respect of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5, details of which will be readily understood by one of skill in the art.
[0154] FIG. 8 shows a container 800 suitable for use in the bundle of the first, second or third embodiments. The container is a hinged-lid container of the type known to one of skill in the art of packaging for aerosol-generating articles. The container 800 contains a wrapped bundle of consumer goods 70, such as a bundle of cigarettes or aerosol-generating articles in which an aerosol-generating substrate, for example a tobacco material, is heated to form an aerosol, rather than combusted. The container is formed from a folded laminar blank and has a lid portion 40 and a box portion 60. The lid portion has a first lid side wall 41, a second lid side wall 42, and a lid top wall 46. The lid portion also has a lid front wall 45 and a lid back wall (not shown in FIG. 8). The box portion 60 has a box front wall 65, and a first box side wall 61. The box portion 20 also has a box bottom wall, a box back wall and a second box side wall (not shown in FIG. 8). The lid 40 depends along a hinge line (not shown in FIG. 8) from a top edge of the box back wall, and is movable about the hinge line between an open position (as shown in FIG. 8) and a closed position. An inner frame 68 is attached to the inside of the box 20 and includes a first inner frame side wall 69, a second inner frame side wall (not shown in FIG. 8), and an inner frame front wall. When used in the bundle of the first, second or third embodiments, the lid top wall 46 of the container of FIG. 8 provides the first container wall 51, and thus defines part of the top face of the bundle.
